Abstract
Though widely valued, such as commercial poultry, for its meat and egg contributions to the human diet, the White King pigeon demonstrates relatively low egg production performance. Compared to white light (WL), red light (RL) exposure has improved egg-laying performance in pigeons. To uncover the molecular mechanisms behind this effect, RNA sequencing was conducted to investigate the expression profiles of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and mRNAs in granulosa cells (GCs) from F1 and F2 follicles of White King pigeons exposed to RL and WL on the third day of the laying interval (LI3). Compared to the WL group, 91 lncRNAs were differentially expressed in the F1 follicle under RL exposure, with 64 downregulated and 27 upregulated. In the F2 follicle, 187 lncRNAs showed differential expression in the RL group, including 132 downregulated and 55 upregulated transcripts. Integrated network analysis revealed that several differentially expressed (DE) mRNAs are associated with key pathways involved in follicular development, such as steroid biosynthesis, ECM-receptor interaction, Wnt signaling, TGF-beta signaling, and the p53 signaling pathway. The lncRNAs (XR_002424346.1, XR_002410355.1, XR_002410102.1, XR_002421922.1) on both cis and trans target mRNAs (AKR1D1, TPT1, BMP1, HRH2, KPNA7, and WNT6) play important roles in follicular development of pigeon. These findings provide a basis for understanding the molecular mechanisms through which lncRNAs, influenced by RL exposure, regulate follicle development and selection in pigeons, ultimately contributing to enhanced egg production.